Advertisement
U.S. markets close in 6 hours 13 minutes
  • S&P 500

    5,253.86
    +5.37 (+0.10%)
     
  • Dow 30

    39,803.93
    +43.85 (+0.11%)
     
  • Nasdaq

    16,405.86
    +6.34 (+0.04%)
     
  • Russell 2000

    2,119.61
    +5.26 (+0.25%)
     
  • Crude Oil

    82.48
    +1.13 (+1.39%)
     
  • Gold

    2,228.30
    +15.60 (+0.71%)
     
  • Silver

    24.69
    -0.06 (-0.23%)
     
  • EUR/USD

    1.0812
    -0.0018 (-0.16%)
     
  • 10-Yr Bond

    4.2200
    +0.0240 (+0.57%)
     
  • GBP/USD

    1.2640
    +0.0002 (+0.01%)
     
  • USD/JPY

    151.2540
    +0.0080 (+0.01%)
     
  • Bitcoin USD

    70,919.81
    +399.32 (+0.57%)
     
  • CMC Crypto 200

    885.54
    0.00 (0.00%)
     
  • FTSE 100

    7,964.83
    +32.85 (+0.41%)
     
  • Nikkei 225

    40,168.07
    -594.66 (-1.46%)
     

Cristiano Ronaldo wins Club World Cup for Real Madrid with free kick

Cristiano Ronaldo hits a free kick through the Gremio wall to give Real Madrid a 1-0 lead in the Club World Cup. (Getty)
Cristiano Ronaldo hits a free kick through the Gremio wall to give Real Madrid a 1-0 lead in the Club World Cup. (Getty)

It is not the biggest trophy Real Madrid has ever won. It is not the biggest goal Cristiano Ronaldo has ever scored.

But with the 2017 Club World Cup final between Madrid and Brazilian side Gremio knotted at 0-0 in the second half on Saturday, Ronaldo drew a foul and lined up a free kick. He marched backwards and stood in his traditional stance. He briefly closed his eyes. And then he stepped up …

He more or less struck the free kick right at the Gremio wall. But the wall split. Luan and Lucas Barrios opened up a window for Ronaldo to power his shot through, right past goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe at his near post.

Ronaldo later had the ball in the Gremio net again, but what would have been a second Real goal was incorrectly ruled out for offside.

In the end, though, it didn’t matter. The free kick was all that was necessary. Madrid won its third Club World Cup in four years, and became the first club to go back-to-back.

The Club World Cup is a second-tier tournament as far as many fans are concerned. Contested by the champions of the six continents, it is only semifinals and a final for the European and South American teams, and rarely gets much attention unless the European Champions League title holder loses.

But Ronaldo and Madrid celebrated as if the title meant a lot. They had dominated the first half without anything to show for their superiority. They had struggled in the final third like they so often have in La Liga this season. The Ronaldo free kick – a relatively rare sight these days – broke the deadlock, offered relief, and, in a way, tied a bow on a dominant calendar year for the reigning European and Spanish champs.

[Follow FC Yahoo on social media: Facebook | Twitter]

There have been talks of a new format for the Club World Cup, which, in its current structure, has become relatively stale. If Ronaldo’s free kick ends up being the last game-winner of the current format, it’s not a bad way to bury it.

– – – – – – –

Henry Bushnell covers global soccer, and occasionally other ball games, for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Question? Comment? Email him at henrydbushnell@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @HenryBushnell.

Advertisement